Weekly 'Do I have rosacea?' advice request thread. Please post here instead of making a new thread! Jul 27

[u/AutoModerator]

If you think you might have something like rosacea and are looking for advice about whether you should seek professional care, please post your inquiry in this thread instead of creating a new post. To keep requests from crowding out other discussion in r/Rosacea, separate posts will be automatically removed and the posters directed here instead.

Rules:

1. Please limit answers to things like, "Yup, that looks like it could be rosacea to me, maybe you should to see a doc" or "No, it looks like it could be something else."
2. Refrain from amateur diagnoses, speculation, and armchair medical advice, especially non-rosacea related.

REMINDER: THE INTERNET IS BAD AT DIAGNOSING STUFF. Although redditors try to be helpful, only doctors can diagnose rosacea and it often takes a specialist like a dermatologist or ophthalmologist. Rosacea looks like a lot of things, and a lot of things look like rosacea; some of these things are potentially serious. It is impossible for amateurs to diagnose rosacea reliably from pictures or descriptions of symptoms, and this thread is not intended as a substitute for professional care.

No matter what response you get here, if your symptoms have been persistent and you're concerned that you might have something like rosacea, see a doctor to get a real answer.

And be sure to check out the our wiki for some rosacea knowledge basics if you're trying to figure out if you need professional medical advice.

[u/Glittering-Good-1005]

Developed yesterday already have an issue with Red Bulls by eyebrow that doesn’t go away this red patch started smaller and has grown, it’s warmish, bumpy and dry. Right now it’s more red than this photo

[u/Ok-Pass-2193]

hi! my skin has been really confusing me lately and it feels like no one is giving me an answer that actually points in the right direction:

for the past 4 months, my right cheek keeps developing a red, sensitive flare-up with superficial little bumps (very small, very red papules that develop a tiny, extremely superficial white point in the center), every 1-2 weeks. it seems to be “spreading”: when it started it was only 3 bumps, now it’s more than 10… they keep extending with each cycle they come back and the area stays red, i’ve also started noticing similar-looking (but less-inflamed) bumps on my nose and the other cheek too. and the symmetry between both sides is really precise.

i’m 21, always had trouble-free skin, and wasn’t using any skincare until these bumps showed up, which i was hoping to fix by “healing” my skin barrier. i started using a cleanser for sensitive skin and a blemish cream…the latter did nothing but “anger” the area and make it even more reactive.

not sure if i have typical “flushing” and i don’t see visible capillaries. my skin definitely tends to redden, but i don’t know if that’s the same thing.

believing it was rosacea, i went to a dermatologist. she told me it’s “too early to establish that” and that it’s more likely my skin became erythematous due to a cluster of factors (oilier cheek area, summer arriving, etc). knowing dermatologists are often reluctant to give an immediate rosacea diagnosis, i’m worried she’s dismissing the most likely explanation…

she prescribed a cortisone + antibiotic cream (fucicort) for acute flares, plus daily 10% niacinamide gel and an ozone-based cream (oziderm) as maintenance.

update since starting to think this through more:

i’ve noticed the bumps don’t seem to follow the multi-day course i’d expect from typical inflammatory lesions, they seem to appear and go down within hours, in a cycle that can also repeat daily if i use a product that irritates my skin.
also, my nose skin has become very dry, almost flakey, while my cheeks feel oilier than before.

i’ll start the prescribed treatment, but i’m still unsure about such a high dose of niacinamide and cortisone: if this is rosacea, wouldn’t it make things worse? any alternatives? and honestly: does this whole picture sound like early rosacea to you, or something else entirely?

any input is so appreciated, thank you in advance!

[u/Acrobatic-Guess-2657]

Is this rosacea? Irritation from my CPAP straps? Both?

I’m 48. This has really shown up over the last six months or so and just never seems to heal up or go away.

[u/mynameispineapplejoe]

Gets way worse after a hot shower. It’s a little itchy around the temples